This isn’t the first time concerns have been raised about Lebedev by British security services.
As long as a decade ago, Sir John Sawers, then head of MI6, made it clear that he did not deem Lebedev a suitable person to meet.
It remains unclear if the prime minister – the then foreign secretary – was made aware of these security concerns.
But his deeply concerning links to Putin are well known – he has been open about them on Twitter where he has promoted the worst conspiracy theories and defences of Vladimir Putin.
And raised questions over the murder of Alexander Litvinenko, the Kremlin critic poisoned in a London hotel.
Lebedev’s father and business partner is a former KGB spy turned billionaire oligarch, who continues to fill his coffers with investments in occupied Crimea and in Russian munitions.